25 Hens in 8x10 coop

[bald k9]

would an 8x10 shed and 12x32 run be big enough for 25 hens? thanks for your time

 

[speckledhen]

That would be a bit tight for that many hens, standard sized ones anyway. That's only about 3.2 sf per bird inside. The run is probably large enough, though.

 

[bald k9]

I was thinking the body heat from the chickens would keep the coop at a comfy temp in winter and they have a large run

 

[Kittymomma]

It might work if your run is covered. If they are stuck in the coop for a majority of the day due to bad weather you'll probably have issues.

I have a few more than that in my 8x10 coop and their run is not covered, but I free range and when the weather is wet and windy they hang out in the big barn with attached lean-to that is right next to the coop/run area. The coop is plenty big for that many chickens as long as you provide enough good roosts and they're not doing much more than just sleeping, laying, and snacking in it.

 

[Uppity Peon]

I think that space would be fine if it is simply for roosting at night. If the floor is raised a couple feet you can hang feeders underneath. I have a "cave" inside for laying eggs, but most of the nestboxes are under the eaves of the coop and only accessible from the outside. Of course you should provide plenty of additional space for their daytime activities.

 

[speckledhen]

I think that if you are really diligent about ventilation and keeping the coop pretty clean (definitely keep it dry!), then you can get a few more than the recommended square feet per bird in there. But, I've done that and it was really, really hard to keep things fresh smelling and dry so I downsized by about a dozen birds in my 8x20 ft coop. Much better!

 

[Joyryder]

The question could be better answered if we knew the breeds you have.

 

[Heather J]

I had about that many per square feet in my coop last winter and it wasn't a problem even though my run wasn't covered--but we had a mild winter and they were able to go out every day. If you have bad storms that will cause a problem you might want to consider your options.

 

[cherylcohen]

We have 9 girls that are 17 and 23 weeks - no eggs yet but soon I'm sure. We built this coop ourselves without any building skills but I'm concerned after reading this thread that the space is not enough.
The hen house is 3' x 4' the pen that it's enclosed in is 4' x 10' and the outside run is 15' by 8' what doyou think. They seem very happy aside from the typical power play!

 

[ZooMummzy]

I agree...would depend on the weather and types of chickens. I have 20 standard size hens, 17 banty hens and a rooster in an 8x10' coop and 23x26 ft run only 8 ft of the run is covered. 8 months out of the year we have rain and colder temps but everyone gets along great - only the normal pecking order stuff - and I never have health issues. I have lots of ventilation and clean it all the time - DE, stall dry, fresh bedding....but I think it's very doable if you are diligent.